A Taste of his Own Medicine, Part Two

It had been a week since I had learned about my dear friend's unfortunate fate, and I was still having trouble dealing with the tragedy I had just been privy to. In the waking world, the only sign I saw of what I had witnessed in the world of dreams, was a small notice about a little filly named Katie in the Munsterville gazette's obituary column. While I'm sure there will be some grieving adopted family and friends, it will soon be as if there was never a filly named Katie to begin with. Through my connections at the royal court, I manage to pull a few strings, and acquire a now-unwanted but loveable little feline from Munsterville as my own personal pet, so at least I was able to give Mr. Sprinkles a home. But there is still some unfinished business with a certain overgrown bully.

I spent the next several nights gathering nocturnal intel on my target, watching his dream for every nuance and detail I can pick up about him. Graffiti Artist, a spoiled rich brat whose family comes from Bright Valley, and who has had everything in his life handed to him on a silver plate. Before moving to Munsterville, the little brat had earned his cutie mark by defacing the statue of Pinkie Pie in Bright Valley, drawing certain profane images on parts of the statue's anatomy. He followed up this 'wondrous' accomplishment by leading a gang of thugs, who robbed little colts and fillies of their lunch money, and shoving thier heads into ditches. He was as mean as mean gets., and has never shown an ounce of pity or remorse his actions.

Now, I've been into the dreams of bullies before, and deep down, they are not often as bad as they seem. Sometimes they were victims of bullies themselves, and take out their pain on other ponies. Sometimes they bully out of the fear of being bullied, and only need some understanding and attention to bring them around. I will often give these little colts and fillies a gentle nudge in their dreams, and that is usually enough to bring them around. But this little colt, there's nothing but cruelty and spite in his heart. In his dreams he revels in the pain and suffering he causes, and in his heart of hearts I see a blackened soul, who if allowed to grow to stallionhood will find even worse ways to cause misery to other ponies. I must do something about this little monster, but I am forbidden to directly interfere. I began to contemplate a way to strike and Graffiti from afar, and it wasn't long before I got my answer.

I wouldn't torment him; rather, I'd 'help' him by showing the little Pegasus exactly what he's been putting other ponies through.

It was late at night, and Graffiti had just gone to bad after a day of making a bunch of the Munsterville children miserable. I alighted his dreams, and suddenly a light appeared in his 'dream' room.

"Hey, what gives?" The little pony groaned sitting up in his bed, and blinking into the blinding light. "W-what's going on? Hey, why does my voice sound so goofy?"

"You've caused other ponies such hurt and suffering," I hiss, appearing to him as a shadowy figure hidden behind the mists of his dreams. "Now, it's time for a taste of your own medicine!"

"AHHHHH, I'M A FILLY!" Graffiti wailed, throwing of the covers, and seeing his diminished physique. "What have you done to me!?!"

Instead of replying, I cause his room to disappear around him. And several of his victims emerge from the shadows, pointing their hooves and taunting him.

"Ha ha! Stupid dumb little filly!"

"Look at how ugly she is!"

"Fat Pig!  Gonna cram some more ice cream into your face?"

"You're so gross, why doncha go throw yourself off a bridge!"

The foals loom over her, giant shadows that taunt and torment and tease. Cutting remarks that tore at her self-esteem, and made her feel the way she had made them feel all those times.

"Stop it, you fracking flankholes!"  Grafitti screamed, running away as tears leaked out of her eyes. "Shut up! Just SHUT UP!"

Looking back on the whole affair, perhaps I shouldn't  have been so harsh on her at that moment. But as I thought about the little filly he had killed, I unleashed the full burnt of her own karma  upon her. Several shadowy ponies come out of the darkness, and grab her with their hooves. They shades proceed to pound on her, rubbing her face into the mud, and battering the filly until she was black and blue.

"How does it feel, you little tramp!?!" One of the shadows hissed, kicking her in the stomach. "You like shoving other ponies into the ditch now?!?"

"Please! Please stop!" The little filly cried, finally breaking free of the shades grasp. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I hurt everybody!"

I then made it go all dark around her, and delivered the coup de grace. A spotlight appeared before her, and out of the shadows emerged the form of little Katie, looking all sullen and forlorn, and pail as a ghost.

"Why were you so mean to me?" Her voice carried on a wind that came from nowhere. "Why did I have to go away?"

"Katie, I'm sorry! I didn't know you were going to-"  She whimpered, falling on her hooves before the other filly. "I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you so much! I didn't know how miserable you were! I swear I'll never hurt another pony again!"

"I shall hold you to that promise, Graffiti Artist. And spare your life on account of your seeing the light." I call out from the mists, as I make the specter of Katie vanish.. "But since you took like life of a little filly so recklessly, I leave you with a parting gift. Know that it is not a punishment, but rather a reminder to never again harm a pony with your words and deeds."

I draw upon all my Power, and there is a flash from the starlight lantern, as I push through the dream and wreak a minor change upon the waking world. Graffiti’s eyes then flicker open,

"Whoa! What a dream!"  The little white Pegasus yawned, sitting up and stretching. "I can't believe I felt bad about- hey, what's with my voi-"

Graffiti’s eyes suddenly went wide at the sound of her own voice. Throwing back the covers, the former bully found my parting gift- a reminder of her cruelty that would remain with her for the rest of eternity.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

And so, my dear little friend was avenged. Am I sorry about what I did to Graffiti? There are times I regret my actions, but ever since then she has been one of the strongest anti-bullying advocates in all of Ponyland as a result. In he years since, she has gown up to be a kind pony, a good wife, and a gentle mother to  her children. If something good did come out of my sweet little friend's tragic demise, it's that a misguided pony's life was turned around, and no one ever had to suffer at the hooves of her tormentor ever again. Ever since that day, the lantern has refused to ever let me pull another stunt like that. And I‘ve been warned that I will be stripped of my powers should a affect the waking world again.

And I can only hope that, somewhere, a little pony is celebrating her tea parties, in a place where no one can torment or make fun of her, forever.